Dear Neighbor,
It has been good to see the full House back in order this week, allowing us to start moving legislation through the process and begin work crafting a new two-year state budget.
Before we get to official notes from the Capitol, I want to mention how disappointing it was to learn the Case-New Holland plant in Benson is laying off around half its workforce – reportedly 123 employees – this April due to a downturn in the farm economy. With 38 displaced workers having Benson addresses, that city will feel the impact, as will the broader region with 85 other laid-off employees sprinkled throughout the area.
It is tough to see something like this happen, and it is a sign of our tough economy. Hopefully the ag economy starts to improve soon, and these laid-off employees can be called back to work.
At the state level, the House ag committee, which I chair, has begun meeting and we are taking on issues of our own. This includes legislation I’m authoring to exempt farms of five or fewer employees from the state’s sick and safe program that is time consuming and expensive. In addition, our ag committee received an update from state ag agency officials this week and discussed the need to provide relief to small grain elevators, sparing them from some excessive audit requirements.
Watch for more on these and other ag issues throughout the session. As for general subjects, a number of bills have been introduced in the House to make life more affordable for Minnesotans. This includes a House Republican proposal for a constitutional amendment that would guarantee future state budget surpluses are returned directly to Minnesotans.
In part, the bill (H.F. 4) is in response to how the recent $18 billion surplus resulted in a 40-percent increase in the state budget instead of being used to provide meaningful tax relief. With approval of a constitutional amendment, this bill establishes the Minnesota tax relief account, with the legislature appropriating funds each biennium into this fund to return excess tax collections back to taxpayers via refunds. Any projected revenues that go over 5 percent of projected expenditures according to the last biennial budget forecast will be used to fund the account.
This proposal is part of a larger package unveiled by House Republicans aimed at addressing Minnesota’s rising cost of living. The package includes two other bills Perryman is championing to provide immediate relief and long-term solutions:
Other bills designed to help make Minnesota more affordable include:
- HF 5 repeals a retail delivery fee and eliminates the state tax on Social Security income.
- HF 9: modernizes renewable energy policies by including hydroelectric power as an eligible renewable energy source, delaying impractical mandates, and protecting reliable energy infrastructure to stabilize energy costs.
Until next time, have a good weekend and, as always, your input is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Paul